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Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) is Future of Remote Work – ReadWrite

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Desktop-as-a-Service


If you look back into history, there is a singular discovery at certain intervals that have affected human evolution and acted as a catalyst for growth.

In ancient times, it was the fire. And in the 19th century, it was the computer. Since being invented in the 19th century, the computer has earned its place of being the most widely-used technological tool of the 21st century.

From the education sector to the medical field, the technology of the computer has brought incredible innovation and benefited countless. Just as with fire, the computer changed our world forever.

The computer’s functionality has dramatically changed over time – from doing simple mathematical calculations to handling complex operations. Not only this, its form has undergone drastic changes as well. From oversized circuit modules to sleek desktops, computers of today are a perfect example of modern advancements.

Our recent times have again forced the computer to change its form and adapt to a new working norm. It has gone from the needed physical availability to getting accessible remotely via an internet connection.

Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) is the Future of Remote Work

Yes, you heard it right – we are talking about VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure). VDI is a technology that enables the creation of virtual desktops on the cloud platform.

VDI can be deployed on the office premises. However, it leads to additional IT hassles and costs to the business. Hence, a better solution is to opt for Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS).

Introduced back in 2015, DaaS, or “Desktop as a Service” is a virtual desktop service, wherein the service providers deliver applications and virtual desktops remotely over an internet connection. It is the perfect solution for setting up your remote workplace, something which has been steadily becoming popular since the recent coronavirus outbreak.

Let’s have a look at why DaaS is the future of remote work:

Round-The-Clock Accessibility

Nowadays, most companies still rely on traditional computer systems, which may fulfill the basic organizational duties, but fail when needed remotely. They are simply a ‘plug and work’ model, which requires their physical presence for being used. And even if you provide portable devices such as laptops, they carry a high risk of getting lost or stolen.

How to deal with the problem of enhanced remote work?

To empower your workplace with remote working capabilities, it is essential to enhance your organization’s technical reachability, and yet retain the custom functionality. And this is something that can be easily done by using DaaS.

Desktop as a Solution (DaaS) is a solution that enables your employees to access the virtual desktops remotely via an internet connection.

From using your favorite applications to accessing the files stored in the cloud, you can do everything you wish to.

It is just like accessing your office systems, and the only difference is that you do it over an internet connection. All you need is authorized access and good internet connectivity.

Instead of carrying all those bulky laptops or waiting to get one from your office, your employees can take out their iPad and start working from anywhere, anytime. Simply superb.

Fewer IT Hassles

An organization has to spend a lot of time overcoming technical hurdles while working remotely. Employees find it difficult to contact the IT team to get their problems solved. This also means that minor issues will also take much more time to get fixed.

Add software updates and timely license renewal, and you can see an enterprise getting buried under an enormous IT workload.

All these excess technical duties can slow down your organizational efficiency and impede your remote working plans.

However, when you go for DaaS, you can easily forego these numerous hassles and smoothly transit into your new working regime. In the case of DaaS, it is the service provider who is responsible for handling all the technical workload.

Replacing faulty hardware to software bugs, everything falls under the sphere of DaaS services.

They also conduct regular service audits and ensure your employees are using the latest software package. And even if you experience any occasional lag, they are always available round the clock to fix it and get you going back on track.

Superior Data Security

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, most US firms have been steadily modifying their working environment for the new ‘work from home’ protocol. They formulated new corporate data policies and incorporated the latest technological innovations to adjust to the new normal.

But with only 5% of company folders being adequately protected and 4000 cyber-attacks occurring per day, data security is still a constant point of worry for significant firms. And since remote working means most employees work over the internet, negligence and inadequate data security measures can easily make a company resources a sitting duck for hackers.

DaaS’s superior security measures come into play.

When you are using hosted virtual desktop service from a DaaS provider, they make sure you have a safe working experience.

Since their service is entirely cloud-based, they employ various premium security measures for its protection. Their desktop interfaces are laced with the latest anti-hacking tools and regularly updated to protect your critical data against any illicit access.

For protecting their data servers, they have modern IDPS systems and have qualified experts for timely antivirus scans.

On-Call Scalability

In recent times, the usage of remote services and working from home has increasingly gained public favor. This has greatly enhanced the business growth of those firms that have successfully provided the required services.

However, increased business growth means more resource requirements, impeding a firm’s development if it has limited scalability. It can also cause a firm to lose their credibility if they cannot keep up with growing consumer demands and fail to deliver within the promised deadlines.

When you are using DaaS, you can stop worrying about the increasing resource demand and work in a pressure-free environment.

Employing a DaaS provider enables you to get scalability on call.

Instead of waiting and planning, you can simply get in touch with your DaaS provider and ramp up your resources. They provide ready-to-use desktop solutions with the required software package.

You don’t have to forage around for the required specifications and then spend time installing the latest software. All you have to do is intimate your DaaS provider about your needs, and they will deploy your virtual desktop.

Better Cost-Effectiveness

Another hurdle every firm endeavoring to work remotely is the cost-effectiveness of their operations. Working remotely means providing the required applications and laptops for your employees.

Since most of the companies have traditional desktops, procuring the necessary amount of portable devices like laptops means spending a huge portion of their capital, which every firm will avoid. Using DaaS enables you to keep things cost-effective and yet to grow your company’s profits.

As DaaS deploys desktops over the cloud, your employees can use their personal laptops, i-pads, and phones to access the official data and work remotely.

Using all types of devices will encourage the employees to use their own devices, saving companies the cost of providing company-owned laptops. Also, they do not need to worry about data security as your DaaS provider will take care of everything.

DaaS offers a pay-per-use model, allowing you to quickly scale down or up whenever you need it without wasting your financial resources. You don’t have to set up your IT infrastructure and employ a team of IT professionals for its maintenance.

A DaaS provider has its team of IT experts who are well trained and experienced. They are responsible for every technical glitch (like a sudden disk failure) and fix it without any additional costs.

As they cater to different client requirements from multiple industries, their systems comply with all the latest security regulations, eliminating your need to invest for one.

Increased Business Outreach

Do you know what the greatest advantage of working remotely is? No geographical limitations. Working remotely has enabled various firms to widen their business outreach greatly.

With DaaS, employers can easily provide their services to a larger client base and also recruit employees remotely. They can hire employees from a geographical location to assist the clients in that area.

Hiring from the needed geographical location saves them the hassle of working in different shifts (according to their clients’ time zone) or setting up a new office in that geography. And since working remotely means no office space requirements, it has made their operations cost-effective as well.

Investing in DaaS saves your firm from all these hassles and improves your business outreach. Instead of physically providing a desktop to your employees, you can first specify your organizational needs to your DaaS provider for procuring the necessary software specifications.

All you have to do is provide valid authorization credentials to your employees, and they can easily access their office desktops over the Internet. Everything is managed on the cloud by your services provider.

You can avoid shipping the necessary desktop or setting up an agency for facilitating the local business – allowing you to manage everything remotely and efficiently.

Improved Productivity

With 77% increase in productivity, enhanced productivity has been another reason many firms embrace remote work setup.

And since COVID-19, coupled with the ensuing lockdown restrictions forced multiple firms to either temporarily halt their operations. Many had to go remote to keep themselves running. It’s expected that the future will see more and more people getting remotely employed.

Various factors, such as unhealthy eating habits, improper work-life balance, and a flawed exercising regime, can drastically affect your employees’ performance.  Unsound health habits decrease an overall work output.

They may also have to face technical problems like an unprecedented disk failure or a sudden breakdown of their office systems may occur that could impact their productivity while working from home.

Employing DaaS enables you to secure guaranteed data availability for your employees so that they are not obstructed while working.

Most of the DaaS providers ensure the SLA-backed uptime guarantee of their services. They ensure that your system is always online and working in prime condition.

If you have to go offline you want to have available help 24/7/365 for assistance.

24-hour help allows your employees to focus on their work and enhance their productivity. They don’t have to venture out to fix a broken hard drive or wait for the latest update. Everything is automatically managed by your service provider, with minimal obstruction in your employee’s working life.

Decreased Tech-Load

Although running a business remotely has allowed firms to offset various operational costs like procurement of office stationery, maintenance of the workplace, and other office-related costs, working remotely has its share of costs. You have to ensure device availability for your employees, provide necessary software licenses, and provide remote IT support.

When you have a new set of employees joining your organization, the cycle repeats all over again. Your organization still has to face a considerable tech-load even if you maintain an in-house server, as you need to hire experienced professionals, and they need to work round the clock for its functioning.

Opting for DaaS frees your organization from the constraints of excess tech-load and smoothens your remote mobility.

You don’t need to maintain an in-house server as all the requirements can be fulfilled if you employ a DaaS provider.

With the rising popularity of the BYOD or ‘Bring Your Own Device’ policy, your employees will feel more comfortable using their device to access your virtual desktop.

Since your desktop is deployed on the cloud and everything is managed via the internet, you do not need to provide your device or wait for its retrieval when an employee leaves your organization.

Conclusion

There is only one word that can accurately define DaaS, and that is – amazing.

When DaaS was first rolled out in 2015, no one knew it would dramatically impact multiple industries around the world. Now, just over five years later — it is one of the widely sought digital solutions for firms looking to work remotely.

Round-the-clock accessibility, premium data security, flexible scalability, economical pricing, and robust tech support — these are various features that a firm enjoys when they opt for reliable DaaS services.

It is the complete remote solution package with limitless potential for the firms looking to establish their remote work empire. So, whenever you need a perfect desktop solution for acing this ‘remote’ game, make sure you remember the DaaS.

Top Image Credit: shutterstock

Sharad Acharya

Sharad Acharya is a technical content writer at Ace Cloud Hosting, a renowned accounting, and business application hosting provider. When not writing about the latest developments in cloud, VDI, and cybersecurity, he loves to watch movies and ride bikes. You can follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Fintech Kennek raises $12.5M seed round to digitize lending

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Google eyed for $2 billion Anthropic deal after major Amazon play


London-based fintech startup Kennek has raised $12.5 million in seed funding to expand its lending operating system.

According to an Oct. 10 tech.eu report, the round was led by HV Capital and included participation from Dutch Founders Fund, AlbionVC, FFVC, Plug & Play Ventures, and Syndicate One. Kennek offers software-as-a-service tools to help non-bank lenders streamline their operations using open banking, open finance, and payments.

The platform aims to automate time-consuming manual tasks and consolidate fragmented data to simplify lending. Xavier De Pauw, founder of Kennek said:

“Until kennek, lenders had to devote countless hours to menial operational tasks and deal with jumbled and hard-coded data – which makes every other part of lending a headache. As former lenders ourselves, we lived and breathed these frustrations, and built kennek to make them a thing of the past.”

The company said the latest funding round was oversubscribed and closed quickly despite the challenging fundraising environment. The new capital will be used to expand Kennek’s engineering team and strengthen its market position in the UK while exploring expansion into other European markets. Barbod Namini, Partner at lead investor HV Capital, commented on the investment:

“Kennek has developed an ambitious and genuinely unique proposition which we think can be the foundation of the entire alternative lending space. […] It is a complicated market and a solution that brings together all information and stakeholders onto a single platform is highly compelling for both lenders & the ecosystem as a whole.”

The fintech lending space has grown rapidly in recent years, but many lenders still rely on legacy systems and manual processes that limit efficiency and scalability. Kennek aims to leverage open banking and data integration to provide lenders with a more streamlined, automated lending experience.

The seed funding will allow the London-based startup to continue developing its platform and expanding its team to meet demand from non-bank lenders looking to digitize operations. Kennek’s focus on the UK and Europe also comes amid rising adoption of open banking and open finance in the regions.

Featured Image Credit: Photo from Kennek.io; Thank you!

Radek Zielinski

Radek Zielinski is an experienced technology and financial journalist with a passion for cybersecurity and futurology.

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Fortune 500’s race for generative AI breakthroughs

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Deanna Ritchie


As excitement around generative AI grows, Fortune 500 companies, including Goldman Sachs, are carefully examining the possible applications of this technology. A recent survey of U.S. executives indicated that 60% believe generative AI will substantially impact their businesses in the long term. However, they anticipate a one to two-year timeframe before implementing their initial solutions. This optimism stems from the potential of generative AI to revolutionize various aspects of businesses, from enhancing customer experiences to optimizing internal processes. In the short term, companies will likely focus on pilot projects and experimentation, gradually integrating generative AI into their operations as they witness its positive influence on efficiency and profitability.

Goldman Sachs’ Cautious Approach to Implementing Generative AI

In a recent interview, Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti revealed that the firm has not yet implemented any generative AI use cases. Instead, the company focuses on experimentation and setting high standards before adopting the technology. Argenti recognized the desire for outcomes in areas like developer and operational efficiency but emphasized ensuring precision before putting experimental AI use cases into production.

According to Argenti, striking the right balance between driving innovation and maintaining accuracy is crucial for successfully integrating generative AI within the firm. Goldman Sachs intends to continue exploring this emerging technology’s potential benefits and applications while diligently assessing risks to ensure it meets the company’s stringent quality standards.

One possible application for Goldman Sachs is in software development, where the company has observed a 20-40% productivity increase during its trials. The goal is for 1,000 developers to utilize generative AI tools by year’s end. However, Argenti emphasized that a well-defined expectation of return on investment is necessary before fully integrating generative AI into production.

To achieve this, the company plans to implement a systematic and strategic approach to adopting generative AI, ensuring that it complements and enhances the skills of its developers. Additionally, Goldman Sachs intends to evaluate the long-term impact of generative AI on their software development processes and the overall quality of the applications being developed.

Goldman Sachs’ approach to AI implementation goes beyond merely executing models. The firm has created a platform encompassing technical, legal, and compliance assessments to filter out improper content and keep track of all interactions. This comprehensive system ensures seamless integration of artificial intelligence in operations while adhering to regulatory standards and maintaining client confidentiality. Moreover, the platform continuously improves and adapts its algorithms, allowing Goldman Sachs to stay at the forefront of technology and offer its clients the most efficient and secure services.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Google DeepMind; Pexels; Thank you!

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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UK seizes web3 opportunity simplifying crypto regulations

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Deanna Ritchie


As Web3 companies increasingly consider leaving the United States due to regulatory ambiguity, the United Kingdom must simplify its cryptocurrency regulations to attract these businesses. The conservative think tank Policy Exchange recently released a report detailing ten suggestions for improving Web3 regulation in the country. Among the recommendations are reducing liability for token holders in decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and encouraging the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to adopt alternative Know Your Customer (KYC) methodologies, such as digital identities and blockchain analytics tools. These suggestions aim to position the UK as a hub for Web3 innovation and attract blockchain-based businesses looking for a more conducive regulatory environment.

Streamlining Cryptocurrency Regulations for Innovation

To make it easier for emerging Web3 companies to navigate existing legal frameworks and contribute to the UK’s digital economy growth, the government must streamline cryptocurrency regulations and adopt forward-looking approaches. By making the regulatory landscape clear and straightforward, the UK can create an environment that fosters innovation, growth, and competitiveness in the global fintech industry.

The Policy Exchange report also recommends not weakening self-hosted wallets or treating proof-of-stake (PoS) services as financial services. This approach aims to protect the fundamental principles of decentralization and user autonomy while strongly emphasizing security and regulatory compliance. By doing so, the UK can nurture an environment that encourages innovation and the continued growth of blockchain technology.

Despite recent strict measures by UK authorities, such as His Majesty’s Treasury and the FCA, toward the digital assets sector, the proposed changes in the Policy Exchange report strive to make the UK a more attractive location for Web3 enterprises. By adopting these suggestions, the UK can demonstrate its commitment to fostering innovation in the rapidly evolving blockchain and cryptocurrency industries while ensuring a robust and transparent regulatory environment.

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding cryptocurrency regulations in various countries has prompted Web3 companies to explore alternative jurisdictions with more precise legal frameworks. As the United States grapples with regulatory ambiguity, the United Kingdom can position itself as a hub for Web3 innovation by simplifying and streamlining its cryptocurrency regulations.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Jonathan Borba; Pexels; Thank you!

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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